OF ROBERT LESLIE ELLIS. xxvii 



two years before his death he was almost entirely blind 1 . 

 Books were read to him, and he dictated occasionally to an 

 amanuensis, but the loss of sight. was a very severe addition to 

 his sufferings. 



The following lines, which may be taken as a sample of the 

 love of epigram 2 which belonged to him, were sent to Dr- Paget, 

 his physician, when the blindness was gaining upon him. 



Contortos artus nunc culcita celat, at olim 



Terra teget melius : sit modo et ilia levis. 

 Et quam vix possunt oculi tolerare dolentes 

 Lux fugit, ac tenebris mox adopertus ero. 

 Mar. 9, 1857. 



In the earlier part of his illness, I made the remark one day 

 that he appeared to me to be a little better; he at once said 



1 His eyes were first attacked in April, 1856 ; he was unable to read in July, 

 1857. 



2 This love of epigram was very striking. Here is an instance. During his 

 illness an old friend wrote to him asking him for some new conundrums. It so 

 happened that on the day of receiving this request he fancied that he had disco- 

 vered from Dr Paget, that he was labouring under Bright's disease ; he sent the 

 following answer : 



Si petis hinc aenigma novum, si ludicra poscis, 



Quod nuper didici scribere cur dubitem ? 

 Morbus, qui clarum fecit qui nomine clarus 



Semper erat, solvet vincula queis teneor. 



On the same day he wrote on the same subject in a different style : 

 DEAR PAGET, 



I think it well to thank you for your most kind note. It came a few 

 minutes before my dinner. That over, I told W * its purport, and desired him 

 to take notice how little it disturbed me. 



Of course, no such communication can ever be matter of indifference, and least 

 of all to a person like me, in whom the power of suffering and of being anxious 

 has been but little impaired by years of suffering and of anxiety. 



But, to use John Bradford's words, "He who has helped me till now will not 

 leave me when I have most need, for His truth and mercy sake ;" and of neces- 

 sity I am less anxious about many things than I have long been. 



Yours, 



R L. ELLIS. 

 Feb. 19, (1857). 



* His servant. 



